Processing facilities, such as manufacturing plants, chemical plants, crude oil refineries, ore processing plants and the like, are often managed using process control systems. Among other operations, process control systems typically manage the use of motors, valves, and other industrial equipment in the processing facilities.
In conventional process control systems, controllers are often used to control one or more processes that are occurring or being implemented. The controllers may, for example, monitor the operation of the industrial equipment, provide control signals to the industrial equipment, and generate alarms when malfunctions are detected. Conventional process control systems are often responsible for monitoring and controlling numerous process variables, which generally represent characteristics of the process being monitored and controlled. In addition, typical process control systems implement video technology to monitor remote and/or hazardous areas, as well as for facility security. Human operators are then often responsible for monitoring and adjusting the controllers in the process control systems, thereby helping to ensure that the controllers are accurately modeling and controlling the processes.